(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, and, in particular, to a thin film transistor (TFT) array panel for an LCD.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, an LCD includes an upper panel having a common electrode and a plurality of color filters, a lower panel having pluralities of TFTs and pixel electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer between the two panels. The pixel electrodes and the common electrode are applied with different electric potentials to generate electric fields which change the alignment of liquid crystal molecules to control the light transmittance, thereby displaying images.
However, an LCD has a serious disadvantage of its narrow viewing angle. To overcome this disadvantage, various techniques for widening the viewing angle are suggested. Among them, there is a technique that the liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicular to the upper and the lower panels and pluralities of openings and/or projections are provided in the pixel electrodes and a common electrode facing the pixel electrodes.
In a conventional technique directed to the openings, the openings are provided in both the pixel electrodes and the common electrode to generate fringe field. The tilt directions of the liquid crystal molecules are adjusted by using the fringe field. A conventional technique related to the projections adjusts the tilt directions of the liquid crystal molecules by using electric fields which are distorted by the projections. In a European Patent EP 0 884 626 A2, various features of the projections are suggested.
Although the viewing angle of the LCD is improved as suggested by the above conventional techniques, the response time of the liquid crystal molecules is not still improved so that it is difficult to display dynamic images due to afterimages.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the response time as well as the viewing angle of an LCD.
The LCD panel according to the present invention includes an insulating substrate and a pixel electrode formed on the substrate. The pixel electrode has pluralities of openings and X-shaped projections protruding from surface of the pixel electrode. The openings are disposed between the projections. An area enclosed by the X-shaped projections, the openings, and boundary of the pixel electrode has a planar shape of equilateral trapezoid or acute angle. A long side of the equilateral trapezoid is convex or curved.
Furthermore, the LCD panel according to the present invention includes a plurality of X-shaped members located under the respective projections and an insulating layer between the projections and the X-shaped members, thereby causing the projections to protrude. The insulating layer has a double-layered structure. The pixel electrode except for the projections is in direct contact with the substrate. The X-shaped members are made of metal and at least two thereof are connected to each other.